IF you've been considering going for a hybrid car the the new Volkswagen Golf GTE may just be the one for you.I've been lucky enough to drive several versions of the Golf over the years, and I've been impressed by them all.So I was intrigued to find out whether this five-door plug-in one could match up to its predecessors.And I'm delighted to report that it even exceeded my expectations and is definitely worth considering if you are looking for a new family car that can achieve a combined cycle figure of 166mpg and CO2 emissions of 39g/km.The new car, which can sprint from zero to 62mph in 7.6 seconds and on to 138mph, is driven by two engines – a 148bhp 1.4-litre turbocharged petrol engine plus a 102 PS electric motor. These together produce a maximum power of 204 PS and a theoretical range of 590 miles. It comes with a six-speed DSG gearbox developed for hybrid vehicles as standard.The electric motor is integrated into the gearbox housing, while further hybrid components include power electronics and a charger. An electro-mechanical brake servo and an electric air conditioning compressor make for energy-efficient braking and air conditioning.Its low emissions figure means it's completely free to tax, and exempt from the London Congestion Charge. And if your daily commute is less than 31 miles, you could (theoretically) never fill it with fuel.The Golf GTE's 8.8 kWh lithium-ion battery can be charged in approximately four hours from a domestic mains outlet, or just over two hours from a domestic wallbox.Externally little has changed to the Golf in recent years – there's been no need to 'reinvent the wheel' – but the GTE combines elements of both the e-Golf and the GTI and comes with 18-inch alloys as standard. Where the GTI features red detailing, such as across the radiator grille and into the headlights, the GTE has blue.This blue theme continues on the inside too, including the stitching on the steering wheel and gear lever and a blue stripe in the tartan pattern on the sporty seats.There are five operating modes: 'E-mode', 'GTE mode', 'Battery Hold', 'Battery charge' and 'Hybrid Auto'. Electric power can also be saved – for example when driving to a zero-emissions zone – and in electric mode, the GTE is capable of speeds of up to 81 mph.You get plenty of gadgets as standard too, with the 5.8-inch colour touchscreen as easy to control as anything else I've driven on the market. It comes with a DAB digital radio and Bluetooth mobile phone connection system, which was easy to set up, while a separate multi-function computer on the dashboard also gives the driver visual gear change and economic driving recommendations for optimum fuel consumption. Also as standard you get an auto-dimming rear view mirror and adaptive cruise control.All of this is set in a 'brushed dark silver' backdrop to give a luxurious finish that is second to none. Optional extras include keyless entry, including a start/stop button on the centre console (£360) and Park Assist – a sensor controlled steering aid to assist parallel or bay parking, with optical parking display via the car's audio system (£150).I put the Golf GTE through its paces on a recent Volkswagen test day in Harrogate, and was really impressed with the system. Having driven numerous hybrid cars before I can safely say that this is one of the best, and enjoyable.It's smooth an eerily quiet around town, and the quality of the drive doesn't change greatly when the batteries have run out.Like a lot of other electric cars available on the market, the GTE also has an e-manager which allows the driver to preset vehicle charging, as well as interior cooling or heating. These functions can be operated remotely using the Car-Net app on a smartphone; a three-year subscription is standard in the UK.The speedometer and tachometer are the same as those on a standard Golf dashboard, and the latter is supplemented by a power meter in the central display, which shows the status of the battery, whether or not power is being used and the intensity of any regeneration.The Volkswagen Golf comes with a three years/60,000 miles warranty, as well as three years' paint and 12 years' body protection.The Golf GTE costs just over £28,000 OTR after the Government's £5,000 plug-in car grant has been deducted. The model I drove also came with optional Night Blue metallic paint (£540).
